Why Modi never spoke on issues like beef or Muzaffarnagar, asks Manmohan Singh

Ever since he demitted office, former prime minister Manmohan Singh was hardly found interacting with the media or sharing his elaborated views on the policies of the current government. However, he recently criticised his successor Narendra Modi over failing to deliver what the latter's government had promised to the country.

New Delhi: Ever since he demitted office, former prime minister Manmohan Singh was hardly found interacting with the media or sharing his elaborated views on the policies of the current government. However, he recently criticised his successor Narendra Modi over failing to deliver what the latter's government had promised to the country.

In an interview to India Today, Singh said that though PM Modi talks of 'vikas', in the growth rate there is no significant difference from where the UPA left.

“In our last year, the growth rate was 6.9 per cent, while the latest figures today show that it is hovering around 7-7.2 per cent. So, despite the significant improvement in the balance of payments, the economy is not moving forward which was the aspiration and for which the government had made promises,” he was quoted by India Today.

Accusing Modi of keeping mum on contentious issues like beef and Muzaffarnagar, Singh said, “He has never spoken; whether it is on the beef problem or whether it is what happened in Muzaffarnagar or elsewhere, he has kept quiet.”

Sharing his opinion on Modi's surprise visit to Lahore, he said, “It is always good to maintain contacts with your neighbours, but there is no need to create a euphoria. If you are not sure about the outcome of your initiative, I think you are wasting the levers of power that you have regarding Pakistan. So I don't think that the PM thought it through? He said that he was in Kabul when he spoke to Nawaz Sharif, who invited him to come. But that is no way of planning or taking a view on such a sensitive relationship, especially one between India and Pakistan.”

He further suggested PM Modi to reach out to Congress leadership, particularly Sonia and Rahul Gandhi to break logjam over GST and other bills.

“During a meeting with him, I had told him that if you really want to improve relations with the Congress party, it's much more essential than ever before for you to establish contact with the Congress leadership, particularly with Soniaji and Rahul Gandhi. There has been no serious discussion with the Congress, whether it is on foreign policy or domestic policy, and even on the GST?”